Door latch post retractor



Oct. 27, 1970 N. J. GARDNER E ,5 5

DOOR LATCH POST RETRACTOR Filed March 11, 1968 EMERGENCY 1 p RELEASE 8/ m1. 1.00MB. Ins 77N6E2 Mme-1.1. z]. Gaza/v52 prroe/vs s Inns/V7023.

United States Patent 3,536,349 DOOR LATCH POST RETRACTOR Newell J. Gardner, 6505 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90048, and William R. Lastinger, Austin, Tex. (R0. Box 75366, Los Angeles, Calif. 90005) Filed Mar. 11, 1968, Ser. No. 714,164 Int. Cl. E05b 15/02 US. Cl. 292-340 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A door latch post retractor for enabling opening of a vehicle door when the latch mechanism carried by the door is inoperative, the latch post being resiliently biased to an out-of-the-way, non-latching position, but being releasably held in a projected, normal latching position by a removable keeper in the form of a pin. A reset tool operable after the pin has been removed is engageable with the door frame and the retracted post to pull the post to the projected position, thereby enabling replacement of the pin in the post to again retain the post in the projected position.

It sometimes occurs in the operation of motor vehicles, such as passenger cars and trucks, for example, that the door latch operating mechanism becomes inoperative, being possibly damaged in an accident, resulting in an occupants inability to open the door, or, for that matter, resulting in the inability of an outsider to release the door latch mechanism, to enable exit or removal of an occupant. In order to obviate such problems, it is desirable that a door latch mechanism be provided having releasable means operable in the event that the usual latch releasing means is not operable, to enable emergency release of the latch mechanism.

Accordingly, the present invention provides means forming a part of the door latch structure of motor or other vehicles, such as passenger cars, trucks, and the like, which may be operated in the event of failure of or damage to the usual latch operating means to enable the latch mechanism to be released and the vehicle door opened. A device embodying the present invention is easy to manufacture and install, both in new or existing vehicles, and, in addition, the device is simple in its construction, and, therefore, inexpensive, yet reliable in its operation.

More specifically, the invention provides a retractable latch post adapted to be incorporated in the door frame and normally maintained in a first or operative position for cooperative latching engagement by the usual door latch mechanism carried by the door, the latch post being movable to a second, latch releasing position out of cooperative relation with the door carried latch mechanism. In accomplishing the foregoing, the retractable latch post is normally loaded or biased toward the second or latch releasing position, but the latch post is held in its first or operative position by releasable means adapted to be conveniently and readily operated by an occupant of a vehicle.

In addition, the invention provides a resetting device, which is also simple and, therefore, inexpensive and easy to operate, and which is adapted to engage the latch post after its release, when the latch post is in the second or latch releasing position, so as to force the latch post against the biasing means, which normally act to hold the post in the second position, back to the first or latching position, enabling the releasable means for holding the latch post in the first or latching position to be reengaged. In accomplishing the foregoing, the resetting device 3,536,349 Patented Oct. 27, 1970 is operable by any conventional wrench to pull the latch post to its latching position.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other purposes which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of a form in which it may be embodied. This form is shown in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. It will now be described in detail, for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that such detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation, showing the inside of a vehicle equipped with a retractable latch post made in accordance with the invention, and with the post in its latching position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale and in vertical section, illustrating the details of the retractable latch post of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical section corresponding to FIG. 2, but showing the retractable post in its second or latch releasing position, with a resetting device in accordance with the invention in engagement with the latch post.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a portion of a hollow side wall S of a vehicle, such as a passenger car or truck, in which a passenger seat 1 is disposed. The side wall S disclosed, as will be understood, is that portion of one side of the vehicle which defines a door opening including a vertical face 2 constituting a portion of the usual door frame 3. As is typical of the door frame structures of the type here involved, a latch post P projects outwardly from the vertical face 2 of the door frame 3 to be engaged by the usual latch mechanism carried by the vehicle door (not shown). The side S may have the usual window operator 4 in the form of a crank, and in addition, the side S of the vehicle is provided with Emergency Release means R, hereinafter described, allowing an occupant of the vehicle, or a person outside of the vehicle reaching through the window opening 5, to conveniently operate the emergency release to obtain movement of the latch post P from the latching position, shown in FIG. 1, to a second position displaced from the latching position, at which second position the latch post P will be free from latching engagement by the door carried cooperative latch mechanism.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the latch post P includes a shank portion 6 having an outwardly projecting flange 7. Such shank and flange configurations are conventional, and the cooperative latch mechanism (not shown) carried by the door, as referred toabove, may be of various types having latch elements automatically engageable with the shank 6 upon closure of the door, but releasable by an operating mechanism carried by the door when the door is to be opened. The present invention makes provision for moving the post P to a position from normal latching relation to the door latch elements, despite the fact that the door is in closed position.

In order to mount the post P for such movement, the shank 6 is formed as a part of, or otherwise made integral with, an elongated stem 8 'shiftably and slidably carried by a supporting bracket 9 secured within the side S in a suitable manner. More specifically, the bracket 9 is generally U-shaped and includes a vertical wall or body 11 and upper and lower arms 12 and 13 projecting from the body 11 into engagement with inside face 2a of the wall 2 of the door frame 3, fasteners 10 extending through the frame 3 into the upper and lower arms 12 and 13 of a the bracket 9. The stem 8 slidably extends through an opening 8a in the bracket wall 11 for reciprocation between its first operative position and its second inoperative position.

These bracket arms 12 and 13 are spaced apart and hold the bracket body 11 in spaced relation to the face 2a of the door frame, so as to form a cavity or pocket 14 into which the post stem 8 extends. Within this space 14, intermediate the post shank portion 6 and the stem 8, the post is provided with an enlarged body section 15 provided with an outwardly projecting flange 16 and a portion 17 adapted, as seen in FIG. 2, to be disposed within an opening 18 in the wall 2 of the door frame 3 when the post P is disposed in its latching position, to be engageable by the aforementioned latch mechanism carried by the vehicle door.

Means are provided for biasing the post P to its inoperative position, comprising a coiled compression spring 20 disposed about the stem 8 of the post P. One end of the spring 20 abuts a face 11a of the wall 11 of the bracket 9, the other end of the spring 20 abutting a flange 21, or other suitable spring seat, provided on or attached to the post stem 8. This spring should be capable of subjecting the post P to a substantial retracting force for moving the post P from the first latching position shown in FIG. 2 to the second non-latching position shown in FIG. 4, when the post P is enabled to move to the latter position.

Means are provided for normally retaining the post P in the latching position, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the retaining means being releasable by the emergency release means R. This retaining means, in the present embodiment, includes a pin or key 22 extending through aligned openings 23 and 24 in the bracket wall 11, and also extending through a transverse opening 25 in the stem 8 of the post P, so as to retain the post P in the first or latching position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the pin or key 22 is removed from the opening 25 of the stem 8, the post will be forcibly shifted to the second or non-latching position, shown in FIG. 4, under the influence of the spring 20. Such shifting of the post P is limited by engagement of the enlarged body section 15 of the post P with the wall 11 of the post supporting bracket 9.

As seen in FIG. 3, the pin or key 22 extends through the side S of the vehicle to its interior. An end portion 26 of the pin 22 pivotally supports a pull handle 27, or other suitable means, for facilitating the pulling of the pin or key 22 from the openings 23, 24, 25 in the bracket wall 11 and stem 8 of the post P, to release the post for retraction by the spring 20. If desired, the vehicle side S may be provided with a face plate 28 through which the pin or key extends, the plate being behind the pull 27.

Normally, the post P is locked in its extended position, as disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 3. In the event that the usual latch operating mechanism carried by the vehicle door becomes damaged or inoperative to effect release of the latch mechanism from the projecting post P, an occupant of the vehicle, or another person reaching through the window opening in the vehicle wall S, may easily and conveniently operate the emergency release means R by merely pulling on the handle 27 to remove the pin or key 22 from the post stem 8. The spring 20 can then retract the post P to the inoperative position disclosed in FIG. 4, out of engagement with the door carried latch mechanism, thereby enabling the door to be opened.

To reposition or reset the post P for cooperative latching engagement by the door carried latch mechanism, a reset tool T is used. This reset tool or device T is adapted to be engaged with the post P and the door frame 3 to exert an outward pull on the post against the force of the spring 20. The tool T includes a support or body 31 having divergent legs 32 and 33 adapted to span the latch post P and to be engaged with the wall 2 of the door frame 3, the legs 32 and 33 being preferably provided with feet 34 and 35 engageable with the wall 2. The tool body 31 carries a bushing or sleeve 36 which is internally threaded for engagement with a threaded reset screw 37. This screw 37 has an end section 38 adapted to threadedly engage in a threaded opening 30 in the outer portion of the latch post P. At its other end, the reset screw is adapted for engagement by a rotating tool, such as by the provision of a head 39 engageable by a tool, such as a wrench. In the illustrative embodiment, the reset screw 37 has threads of one hand, such as left hand, while the end section 38 has threads of the other hand, such as right hand, to maintain the reset screw end 38 threadedly engaged in the post opening 30 as the reset screw is rotated to apply an outward pull on the post P, the reaction force being transmitted to the door frame 3 through the screw support legs 32, 33 and feet 34, 35.

When the latch post P has been pulled outwardly to its operative and normal position, at which it may be engaged by the latch mechanism carried by the door, the pin opening 25 in the post stem 8 is aligned with the openings 23 and 24 in the supporting wall 11 of bracket 9, and the pin or key 22 reinstalled to retain the post P in the operative position. Thereupon, the reset tool T is removed by unthreading its end 38 from the post bore 30.

If desired, the stem 8 may be made of square crosssection, fitting in a companion bore in the Wall 11 to insure alignment of the hole 25 with the holes 23, 24 when the post P is pulled back to its normal operative position, permitting ready reinsertion of the pin 22 through the aligned holes.

We claim:

1. In a door latch post construction including a latch post carried by the door frame for latching engagement by the latch mechanism carried by a door: means shiftably supporting said latch post for movement between a first position at which said latch post is engageable by the latch mechanism and a second nonlatching position, and means for moving said latch post to said second position, said means shiftably supporting said latch post including a bracket having means for mounting said bracket within the door frame, said latch post including a stem shiftably supported by said bracket, and including retaining means extending through the door frame and coengageable with said bracket and said stem for releasably holding said latch post in said first position.

2. In a door latch post construction including a latch post carried by the door frame for latching engagement by the latch mechanism carried by a door: means shiftably supporting said latch post for movement between a first position at which said latch post is engageable by the latch mechanism and a second nonlatching position, and means for moving said latch post to said second position, said means for moving said latch post so said second position including a spring acting on said latch post to normally bias said latch post to said second position, and including releasable retaining means extending through the door frame and said latch post for holding said latch post in said first position, and means for releasing said retaining means.

3. In a door latch post construction including a latch post carried by the door frame for latching engagement by the latch mechanism carried by a door: means shiftably supporting said latch post for movement between a first position at which said latch post is engageable by the latch mechanism and a second nonlatching position, and means for moving said latch post to said second position, said means for moving said latch post to said second position including a spring acting on said latch post to normally bias said latch post to said second position, and including releasable retaining means for holding said latch post in said first position, and reset means for moving said latch post to said first position subsequent to release of said retaining means, said reset means including a support having portions engageable with said door frame, a member shiftably carried by said support, said member and said latch post haying interconnectible means for connecting said member to said latch post, and means for moving said member relative to said support to move said latch post against said spring to said first position.

4. A door latch construction as defined in claim 3, wherein said interconnectible means for connecting said member to said latch post includes threaded parts having threads of one hand, and said means for moving said member relative to said support includes threads of the other hand on said member.

'5. A retractable latch post construction for use on a door frame for cooperative latching engagement by the latch mechanism carried by a door, comprising: a support, a latch post, said support and said latch post having means reciprocably supporting said latch post for movement between a first latching position projecting from said support and a second non-latching position, means for releasably retaining said latch post in said first position, and means for retracting said latch post to said second position upon release of said retaining means, said means reciprocably supporting said latch post including a stem on said latch post, said support having an opening in which said stem is shiftably disposed, and said retaining means including a pin engageable with said support and said stem.

6. A retractable latch post construction for use on a door frame for cooperative latching engagement by the latch mechanism carried by a door, comprising: a support, a latch post, said support and said latch post having means reciprocably supporting said latch post for movement between a first latching position projecting from said support and a second non-latching position, means for releasably retaining said latch post in said first position, and means for retracting said latch post to said second position upon release of said retaining means, said support comprising a body having spaced apart arms, said body having an opening said means reciprocably supporting said latch post including a stem on said latch post reciprocable in said opening in said body, said latch post having an enlarged section disposed between said support arms and engageable with said body upon movement of said latch post to said second position.

7. A latch post construction as defined in claim 6, said retaining means including openings in said body and said stem aligned when said latch post is in said first position,

6 and a pin engageable in said openings when said openings are aligned.

8. A retractable latch post construction for use on a door frame for cooperative latching engagement by the latch mechanism carried by a door, comprising: a support, a latch post, said support and said latch post having means reciprocably supporting said latch post for movement between a first latching position projecting from said support and a second non-latching position, means for releasably retaining said latch post in said first position, and means for retracting said latch post to said second position upon release of said retaining means, said latch post having means engageable by a reset tool to move said latch post to said first position from said second position.

9. In a vehicle side wall structure: a vertical door frame wall, said frame wall having an opening, a support inside of said frame wall, means securing said support to said frame wall behind said opening, a latch post reciprocably carried by said support and for movement between a projected latching position extending through said opening for engagement by cooperative latch mechanism carried by the vehicle door and a retracted position, releasable means for retaining said latch post in said projected position, and means for moving said latch post to said retracted position when said retaining means is released, said releasable means for retaining said latch post in said projected position including a pin, said support and said latch post having alignable openings for reception of said pin, and means external of said wall structure for pulling said pin from said openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,153,102 4/1939 Smith 292l 2,210,080 8/1940 Hover 292 2,721,377 10/1955 Hedlund 29-264 3,066,964 12/ 196-2 Lemaire 292-173 3,270,407 9/1966 Araujo 29-259 RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner E. J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 292179 

